Alien Stuff

You can't help but grin. "Alien technology? Genuine creatures from beyond the stars?" You ask with glee.

"And an assortment of glowing space rocks." Benny confirms, matching your smile. "There's also a fair bit of reverse engineered technology that we hold the patents for, passed to you with the house."

June smiles indulgently. "Basically it's a catch all for everything that doesn't fit with Benny's science or my relics, and a sci fi geek's wet dream." She chuckles at gleam in your eye. "I'm guessing you want a look?"

"Yes, please!" You gush, dancing from foot to foot in anticipation.

June laughed as she waves you over to a palm reader set into the door. "I set up your access while we were talking."

You laugh giddily as a multicolored pattern of lights dances under your hand before the scanner blinks green twice and a small section of the surrounding metal splits down the middle and parts before you like an elevator opening.

You step into the blackness, holding your breath as the lights gradually brighten to reveal a vast array of oddities that would be right at home at any number of conventions.

"Does all this really work?" You murmur as you crane your neck trying to take in everything at once.

"Mostly." June shrugged, steering you to the right hand side. "Let's get you registered in the biolab while we explain. And before you ask, what we did at the door was just for this room. Now we'll be taking blood samples and copying your neural patterns to the computer so they can be downloaded into a new body."

You blink, dumbfounded by the implications. "But then... You could still be here!"

Benny coughs awkwardly. "True. We could have cloned ourselves and restored the backups that these holographic constructs use." Your virtual uncle pushed his glasses back up his nose. "But even a blind man could see your home life was no good for you. You needed this place more than we did."

"Don't think we wanted to leave you alone." June said as she helped you into a chair and settled a scanner on your forehead. "We had a number of plans. This one just kicked in first."

"I could bring you back." You muse as the electricity tickles your skin. "But I won't. There's too much that says you're dead, and it wouldn't be right to bring you back just to trap you here at home."

"And that is why we trusted you above all others with this place." Benny said.

"We knew that you would use and guard our secrets..." June paused in thought. "Maybe not responsibly, but sensibly?" She asked as a stinging jolt stung your temple.

"What was that?" You ask resisting the urge to reach up to the source of the sensation.

"Ah well, the system can create new DNA and make you a new body, but without your mind it's little more than a flesh doll." June explained. "That sting was a technoorganic nanoprobe being inserted into your temple. It connects to house's mainfraime and downloads a copy of your brain. If anything happens a new body is poured out the vat and your brain's latest copy is uploaded back into your noggin."

"What's the minimal safe time between downloads?" You ask. "I'd like this particular backup run as often as possible."

"It works best during 'low volume' use, when your brain is more idle." Benny explained "I can probably do eight times a day, spaced out in three hour increments. Any shorter and we run the risk of data corruption, meaning you would default to your baseline scan, this one you're wrapping up now."

"Ah, but if we double up overnight, four backups over eight hours?"

"That might do," June mused half to herself.

"And drop the sync ratio by 25%." Benny replied.

"Spread it out throughout the day?" You toss out, falling into sync with your virtual family.

"Pretty broad stroke." June reminded us. "But the devil's in the details."

"Ah, but not if we-"

"Run a trinary parallel weave!" The three of you exclaim in unison. The familiar rush of syncing up with your family almost makes you forget about the alien wonders surrounding you.

Almost.